Patents by Inventor Tatsuru Shimooka

Tatsuru Shimooka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6867354
    Abstract: Various kinds of members are located on the body of an electric guitar, and strings are supported by the members at predetermined positions along the longitudinal direction. The strings are adjusted by a fine-tuning element and a harmonic tuning element. A base plate is pivotally supported on the guitar body. Each of saddles is rotatably coupled to one of saddle holders, the position of which can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the strings, and corresponds to one of the strings. Each saddle contacts the corresponding string at a predetermined point. Each string holder, which is located in one of the saddles, holds the corresponding string at a part that is below the contact point of the string. The fine-tuning element fine-tunes each string by changing the rotational angle of the corresponding saddle without actually changing the contact point of the corresponding string. The harmonic tuning element adjusts the position of each saddle holder in the longitudinal direction of the strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hoshino Gakki Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuru Shimooka, Shinjiro Hirayama
  • Patent number: 6593515
    Abstract: A stringed instrument has a body, a longitudinal neck attached to the body and extending therefrom, and strings extending between the body and a free head end of the neck, the strings attached so that they generate a tensile force tending to deform the neck. To prevent deformation of the neck, it receives a rigid reinforcing body provided with a groove that extends from a first end of the body and terminates at a distance from the opposite second end, so that the rigid body has a grooveless end region and a grooved end region. The grooved end faces the body of the stringed instrument. The grooveless end region and an upper part of the grooved end region are fixed to the top side of the instrument neck along their entire lengths, whereas a lower part of the grooved end region is detachably secured to the neck and generates a force counteracting the tensile force to minimize the deformation of the neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Hoshino Gakki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinjiro Hirayama, Tatsuru Shimooka
  • Publication number: 20030066407
    Abstract: Various kinds of members are located on the body of an electric guitar, and strings are supported by the members at predetermined positions along the longitudinal direction. The strings are adjusted by a fine-tuning element and a harmonic tuning element. A base plate is pivotally supported on the guitar body. Each of saddles is rotatably coupled to one of saddle holders, the position of which can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the strings, and corresponds to one of the strings. Each saddle contacts the corresponding string at a predetermined point. Each string holder, which is located in one of the saddles, holds the corresponding string at a part that is below the contact point of the string. The fine-tuning element fine-tunes each string by changing the rotational angle of the corresponding saddle without actually changing the contact point of the corresponding string. The harmonic tuning element adjusts the position of each saddle holder in the longitudinal direction of the strings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: Hoshino Gakki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuru Shimooka, Shinjiro Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20030000365
    Abstract: A stringed instrument has a body, a longitudinal neck attached to the body and extending therefrom, and strings extending between the body and a free head end of the neck, the strings attached so that they generate a tensile force tending to deform the neck. To prevent deformation of the neck, it receives a rigid reinforcing body provided with a groove that extends from a first end of the body and terminates at a distance from the opposite second end, so that the rigid body has a grooveless end region and a grooved end region. The grooved end faces the body of the stringed instrument. The grooveless end region and an upper part of the grooved end region are fixed to the top side of the instrument neck along their entire lengths, whereas a lower part of the grooved end region is detachably secured to the neck and generates a force counteracting the tensile force to minimize the deformation of the neck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: Hoshino Gakki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinjiro Hirayama, Tatsuru Shimooka